James 2:6
New International Version
But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court?

New Living Translation
But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?

English Standard Version
But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?

Berean Standard Bible
But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?

Berean Literal Bible
But you have dishonored the poor. Are not the rich oppressing you and they dragging you into court?

King James Bible
But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

New King James Version
But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?

New American Standard Bible
But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

NASB 1995
But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

NASB 1977
But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?

Legacy Standard Bible
But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and they themselves drag you into court?

Amplified Bible
But you [in contrast] have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress and exploit you, and personally drag you into the courts of law?

Christian Standard Bible
Yet you have dishonored the poor. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into court?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Yet you dishonored that poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?

American Standard Version
But ye have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats?

Contemporary English Version
You mistreat the poor. But isn't it the rich who boss you around and drag you off to court?

English Revised Version
But ye have dishonoured the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and themselves drag you before the judgment-seats?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Yet, you show no respect to poor people. Don't rich people oppress you and drag you into court?

Good News Translation
But you dishonor the poor! Who are the ones who oppress you and drag you before the judges? The rich!

International Standard Version
But you have humiliated the man who is poor. Are not rich people the ones who oppress you and drag you into court?

Majority Standard Bible
But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?

NET Bible
But you have dishonored the poor! Are not the rich oppressing you and dragging you into the courts?

New Heart English Bible
But you have dishonored the poor person. Do not the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?

Webster's Bible Translation
But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment-seats?

Weymouth New Testament
But *you* have put dishonour upon the poor man. Yet is it not the rich who grind you down? Are not they the very people who drag you into the Law courts? --

World English Bible
But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you and personally drag you before the courts?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
But you dishonored the poor one. Do the rich not oppress you and themselves draw you to judgment-seats?

Berean Literal Bible
But you have dishonored the poor. Are not the rich oppressing you and they dragging you into court?

Young's Literal Translation
and ye did dishonour the poor one; do not the rich oppress you and themselves draw you to judgment-seats;

Smith's Literal Translation
And ye have despised the beggar. Do not the rich bring you into subjection, and draw you before tribunals?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But you have dishonoured the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you by might? and do not they draw you before the judgment seats?

Catholic Public Domain Version
But you have dishonored the poor. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you through power? And are not they the ones who drag you to judgment?

New American Bible
But you dishonored the poor person. Are not the rich oppressing you? And do they themselves not haul you off to court?

New Revised Standard Version
But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But you have despised the poor. Do not rich men exalt themselves over you and drag you before the judgment seat?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But you have despised the poor. Behold, do not the rich have dominion over you and drag you to court?
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But you dishonor the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you, and do they not themselves drag you to the judgment-seats?

Godbey New Testament
You have dishonored the poor. Do not the rich domineer over you, and drag you into courts?

Haweis New Testament
but ye have put contempt on the poor man? Do not the rich men tyrannize over you? and they drag you to the tribunals.

Mace New Testament
but you, who despise the poor, are not you oppress'd by the rich? is it not they who drag you to their tribunals?

Weymouth New Testament
But *you* have put dishonour upon the poor man. Yet is it not the rich who grind you down? Are not they the very people who drag you into the Law courts? --

Worrell New Testament
But ye dishonored the poor man! Do not the rich oppress you, and do they not drag you before the judgment-seats?

Worsley New Testament
Do not the rich tyrannize over you; and drag you to their tribunals?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Warning against Favoritism
5Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him? 6But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name by which you have been called?…

Cross References
Proverbs 14:31
Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.

Proverbs 22:16
Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself or giving gifts to the rich will surely lead to poverty.

Proverbs 22:22-23
Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate, / for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who rob them.

Isaiah 3:14-15
The LORD brings this charge against the elders and leaders of His people: “You have devoured the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses. / Why do you crush My people and grind the faces of the poor?” declares the Lord GOD of Hosts.

Isaiah 10:1-2
Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees, / to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder.

Amos 4:1
Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy, who say to your husbands, “Bring us more to drink.”

Amos 5:11-12
Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact from him a tax of grain, you will never live in the stone houses you have built; you will never drink the wine from the lush vineyards you have planted. / For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes; you deprive the poor of justice in the gate.

Micah 2:1-2
Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands. / They covet fields and seize them; they take away houses. They deprive a man of his home, a fellow man of his inheritance.

Micah 3:1-3
Then I said: “Hear now, O leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know justice? / You hate good and love evil. You tear the skin from my people and strip the flesh from their bones. / You eat the flesh of my people after stripping off their skin and breaking their bones. You chop them up like flesh for the cooking pot, like meat in a cauldron.”

Zechariah 7:10
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’

Malachi 3:5
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.

Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10-11
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. / Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

Matthew 23:14
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.

Luke 6:24
But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.


Treasury of Scripture

But you have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?

ye.

James 2:3
And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

Psalm 14:6
Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.

Proverbs 14:31
He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.

Do.

James 5:4
Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

Job 20:19
Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;

Psalm 10:2,8,10,14
The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined…

and.

James 5:6
Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.

1 Kings 21:11-13
And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them…

Acts 4:1-3,26-28
And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, …

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James 2
1. Do not regard the rich and despise the poor brothers;
13. rather we are to be loving and merciful;
14. and not to boast of faith without deeds;
17. because faith without deeds is useless;
19. as is the faith of the demons;
21. however, Abraham displayed both faith and actions;
25. as did Rahab.














But you have dishonored the poor
The phrase begins with "But," indicating a contrast to the expected behavior of believers. The Greek word for "dishonored" is "atimazō," which means to treat with contempt or to disgrace. This word choice highlights the severity of the action against the poor, who are often vulnerable and marginalized. In the historical context of the early church, the poor were frequently overlooked and undervalued, contrary to the teachings of Jesus, who emphasized caring for the least among us. The "poor" here refers not only to those lacking material wealth but also to those who are spiritually humble and dependent on God. This phrase challenges believers to reflect on their treatment of the less fortunate and to align their actions with the values of the Kingdom of God, which honors and uplifts the lowly.

Is it not the rich who oppress you
The rhetorical question "Is it not" serves to remind the audience of a common experience among them. The Greek word for "oppress" is "katadynasteuō," which conveys a sense of harsh control or exploitation. Historically, the rich often held power and influence, using their resources to manipulate and dominate others, including fellow believers. This phrase calls attention to the irony and injustice of favoring those who are the very source of oppression. It serves as a warning against the allure of wealth and status, which can lead to compromising one's values and neglecting the principles of justice and equality that are central to the Christian faith.

and drag you into court?
The imagery of being "dragged" into court suggests force and coercion. The Greek word "helkō" implies a violent pulling or drawing, emphasizing the aggressive nature of the rich in using legal systems to their advantage. In the historical context, courts were often biased in favor of the wealthy, who could afford legal representation and bribes. This phrase underscores the vulnerability of the poor and the systemic injustices they faced. It serves as a reminder to believers to seek justice and fairness, advocating for those who cannot defend themselves. The mention of court also alludes to the ultimate judgment of God, where true justice will prevail, and the actions of all will be weighed according to divine standards. This encourages believers to live righteously and to treat others with the dignity and respect that reflect God's love and justice.

(6) But ye have despised the poor.--Better, ye dishonoured the poor man--i.e., when, as already mentioned (James 2:2-3), you exalted the rich unto the "good place" of your synagogue. Thus whom God had called and chosen, you refused. "It is unworthy," observes Calvin on this passage, "to cast down those whom God lifts up, and to treat them shamefully whom He vouchsafes to honour. But God honoureth the poor; therefore whoever he is that rejects them perverts the ordinance of God."

Do not rich men oppress you?--Or, lord it over you as a class; not assuredly that this can be said of each wealthy individual. It is the rich man, of the earth earthy, trusting in his riches (comp. Matthew 10:24), who makes them a power for evil and not for good. Here is presented the other side of the argument, used on behalf of the poor, viz., observe first how God regards them (James 2:5), and next, judge their adversaries by their own behaviour.

Draw you before the judgment seats?--Better, Do they not drag you into courts of justice? "Hale" you, as the old English word has it. Summum jus summa injuria--extreme of right is extreme of wrong--a legal maxim oft exemplified. The purse-proud litigious man is the hardest to deal with, and the one who specially will grind the faces of the poor. No body of laws could on the whole be more equitable than the Roman, but their administration in the provinces was frequently in venal hands; and besides, the large fees demanded by the juris-consulti--"the learned in the law"--quite barred the way of the poorer suitors, such as, for the most part, were the Christians to whom this Letter was written.

Verse 6. - You have dishonored by your treatment the poor man, whom God chose; while those rich men to whom ye pay such honor are just the very persons who

(1) oppress you and

(2) blaspheme God and Christ. Poor... rich. In the Old Testament we occasionally find the term "poor" parallel to "righteous" (Amos 2:6; Amos 5:12); and "rich" to "wicked" (Isaiah 53:9). St. James's use here is somewhat similar (see on James 1:9, etc.). "Christiani multi ex pauperibus erant: pauci ex divitibus" (Bengel). The "rich men" here alluded to are evidently such as was the Apostle Paul before his conversion.

(1) They dragged the poor Christians before the judgment-seat (ἕλκουσιν ὑμᾶς εἰς κριτήρια). So Saul, "haling (σύρων) men and women, committed them to prison" (Acts 8:3). . . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

you
ὑμεῖς (hymeis)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

have dishonored
ἠτιμάσατε (ētimasate)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 818: To disgrace, treat disgracefully, dishonor, insult; I despise. From atimos; to render infamous, i.e. contemn or maltreat.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

poor.
πτωχόν (ptōchon)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4434: Poor, destitute, spiritually poor, either in a good sense (humble devout persons) or bad.

[Is it] not
οὐχ (ouch)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

the
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

rich
πλούσιοι (plousioi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4145: Rich, abounding in, wealthy; subst: a rich man. From ploutos; wealthy; figuratively, abounding with.

who oppress
καταδυναστεύουσιν (katadynasteuousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2616: To overpower, quell, treat harshly. From kata and a derivative of dunastes; to exercise dominion against, i.e. Oppress.

you
ὑμῶν (hymōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

drag
ἕλκουσιν (helkousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1670: To drag, draw, pull, persuade, unsheathe. Or helko hel'-ko; probably akin to haireomai; to drag.

you
ὑμᾶς (hymas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

into
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

court?
κριτήρια (kritēria)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 2922: Neuter of a presumed derivative of krites; a rule of judging, i.e. a tribunal.


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NT Letters: James 2:6 But you have dishonored the poor man (Ja Jas. Jam)
James 2:5
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